By Jean-Paul MacDonald, Farms.com
As planting season winds down, it's essential to focus on post-planting planter care. Proper care and maintenance of planting equipment can make life easier next spring. Experts recommend farmers back up data, clean up equipment, and follow up on any necessary repairs or adjustments.
One of the most critical steps in post-planting care is to write down what's not working correctly. Farmers often forget these issues by the time winter comes around, making it harder to address them later. Bryce Baker, marketing manager of Precision Planting, encourages farmers to back up data off the display soon to prevent loss.
Proper cleanup is also essential in maintaining a planter. Brad Niensteadt, senior product specialist for Kinze Manufacturing, advises getting rid of any seeds or product moisture to keep furry friends from creating damage. Fertilizer can also be tough on components, so farmers must clean the tank thoroughly, treating it like a sprayer.
To evaluate the planter's performance, farmers need to do some footwork. Baker recommends going into the field to check emergence and singulation consistency and find out why and how to improve any errors. Rylander advises removing the seed discs during cleanup to prevent warping and storing them on a supported broom handle.
Planter manufacturers provide good information about storage, cleanup, and planter prep in their books and videos, and farmers can use these resources to ensure planting success every year. By following the experts' advice on back up, clean up, and follow up, farmers can make sure their planting equipment is ready to go come spring.